and the conniving and mysterious j.r. ewing, unforgetable. he was one of the most famous stars of the era seen here. larry hagman has died at 81 years old. >> stay out of my affairs. >> you slime. you make me sick. >> oddly enough, nobody hates me. they love this character. >> justin: love him or hate him -- >>> reporter: love him or hate him, 14 seasons of playing jr ewing, the oil baron with the reptilian smile. he cheated his family, friends, and wife while taking plenty of knocks on his own. when the "who shot jr "episode aired, millions tuned in to watch. like jr, hagman was born in texas, the son of actress mary martin. >> the meaner he gets on television, the nicer he is at home. >> reporter: indeed, he didn't always play a bad guy. we first knew him as harry, in i dream of genie. hagman received no residuals for i dream of genie which is still in syndication. he was determined not to make the same mistake with dallas and negotiated rerun compensation packages. like j.r. a real business man. >> the actress who played his wife sue ellen